Washington (DCA) to Des Moines (DSM)
Flight time
≈ 2h 35m
Bearing
287° W
Washington (DCA) to Des Moines (DSM) is 895 miles (1,440 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies DCA–DSM
US DOT T-100 · filed dataIn April 2026, PSA Airlines operated the most departures, one of 2 carriers flying nonstop DCA–DSM; the Bombardier CRJ-900 was the most common aircraft at 56% of departures; flights ran 66% full.
Departures
119
April 2026
Seats
8,976
both directions
Passengers
5,932
both directions
Load factor
66.1%
passengers ÷ seats
Who flies DCA–DSM?
PSA Airlines operated the most nonstop DCA–DSM departures in April 2026 (73), one of 2 carriers on the route.
- OH
PSA Airlines
73 departures · 5,480 seats
Share of departures61.3%65.9%
Load
- YX
Republic Airways
46 departures · 3,496 seats
Share of departures38.7%66.4%
Load
What plane flies DCA–DSM?
In April 2026, the Bombardier CRJ-900 flew 56% of DCA–DSM departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Bombardier CRJ-900
67 departures · 66.0% load
56.3% - Embraer E175
46 departures · 66.4% load
38.7% - Bombardier CRJ-700
6 departures · 64.9% load
5.0%
How has DCA–DSM traffic changed?
Nonstop DCA–DSM departures held steady at about 119 a month between May 2025 and April 2026.
Monthly nonstop DCA–DSM traffic, trailing 12 months through April 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
May 2025
119 departures · 6,757 passengers
86.9%
Load
June 2025
112 departures · 7,132 passengers
85.0%
Load
July 2025
96 departures · 5,788 passengers
82.9%
Load
August 2025
121 departures · 6,291 passengers
74.2%
Load
September 2025
118 departures · 5,523 passengers
69.8%
Load
October 2025
124 departures · 6,335 passengers
69.2%
Load
November 2025
103 departures · 5,165 passengers
66.8%
Load
December 2025
83 departures · 4,398 passengers
70.0%
Load
January 2026
102 departures · 4,770 passengers
61.7%
Load
February 2026
104 departures · 5,504 passengers
70.9%
Load
March 2026
111 departures · 6,186 passengers
73.8%
Load
April 2026
119 departures · 5,932 passengers
66.1%
Load
By direction
The DOT files each direction separately — they rarely match.
DSM → DCA
67.8% full
60 departures · 3,070 passengers
DCA → DSM
64.3% full
59 departures · 2,862 passengers
Nonstop DCA–DSM traffic has been filed with the US DOT since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through April 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work). The DOT publishes roughly three months in arrears.
The airports
Frequently asked
How far is Washington (DCA) from Des Moines (DSM)?
DCA to DSM is 895 miles (1,440 km / 778 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from DCA to DSM?
A nonstop covers the 895-mile great-circle distance in roughly 2h 35m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies DCA–DSM?
In April 2026, the Bombardier CRJ-900 flew the largest share of departures (56.3%), followed by the Embraer E175 (38.7%).
What mileage do I earn flying DCA–DSM?
Distance-based programs credit off the 895-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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